Alumni Days was this Thursday through Saturday. The Daily visited with some of the visiting alumni to get a brief look at what their life was like after Iowa State and their thoughts on the campus nearly 50 years later.

Name: Carol Jeske

Year: Class of 1954

Major: Home Economics

Residence: Elm Hall and Welch Hall

After Iowa State: Jeske was a teacher in Iowa for 12 years and the moved to Arlington, Virginia, where she taught high school for 22 years.

“I’ve seen it grow over the years. It’s really changed. I really enjoy the campus.”

Names: Dan and Elenor Niffenegger

Mr. Niffenegger

Year: Class of 1952

Major: Agronomy

Residence: Alumni Hall

After Iowa State: He went into the Air Force after graduation and then went to work on faculty at Montana State University. In 1967, he finished a Ph.D at Iowa State. He also worked for the United States Department of Agriculture.

“You couldn’t live on campus as a freshman. There wasn’t enough housing so freshman had to live elsewhere. For a while I lived at an old milk house on the south side of town.”

“When my classmates and I graduated, the advisors really help us line up jobs for after we graduated. I was really surprised how much they helped me.”

Mrs. Niffenegger

Year: Class of 1953

Major: Dietetics

Residence: Oak Hall

After Iowa State: Worked at a children’s hospital and later received he master’s from Montana State University when her husband went to work on faculty there.

“My husband and I here met at Iowa State.”

“People were really impressed with my graduating from Iowa State. I never realized how high employers thought of the college. It really helped”

Name: Fran Frigo

Year: Class of 1957

Major: Home Economics Education, she transferred from Iowa Teachers College, now UNI, after two years there

Residence: Elm Hall where she was president (being president she had free room and board)

After Iowa State: Frigo married her husband, who she met at Iowa State, and then went to teach in Northern Iowa for one year until she began to raise a family. She spent most of her adult life in Northern Wisconsin where he husband had his own company producing goat products. While her husband has since passed on, she is still active in community volunteer work.

“I loved Iowa State. Absolutely loved it here. And I still do.”

“This place has absolutely changed. I am still happy to see McKay and Elm are still around; same with Beardshear and the campanile, Morrill. Even the Memorial Union. When I was here (the food court dining area) was all dark furniture. The seating is very different than when I was here.”

Name: Marney Beemer

Year: Class of 1942

Major: Institutional Manager (now Hotel Management)

Residence: Welch Hall and Pi Beta Phi

After college: Beemer married a veterinary graduate from Iowa State and the raised five children. She lived most of her life in Corning, Iowa, with her husband where she served as the “household engineer.”

At a reunion with some of her old sorority sisters, found out all five she was with had married Iowa State alumni, no divorces and had anywhere from three to seven children.

Posted 5/20/07 @ 4:40 PM CST